Spring cover



v June 2, 1931. M. H. wHlTl-:HOUSE l 1,803,332

SPRING COVER Filed Feb. 25 1930 @gvwa Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STATES MILTON H. WHITEHOUSE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSINl SPRING COVER Application led February 25, 1930. Serial No. 431,126.

This invention relates to improvements in spring covers which are adapted to embrace a leafspring to snugly engage the ame and effect a complete housing there- One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a one-piece spring cover which can be quickly placed in position for housing a leaf spring and is provided with similar means for locking the same in position and at the same time affords a sufficient amount of flexibility to compensate for the action of the spring so that there will be no danger of the cover becoming distorted or broken through the flexing action of the spring.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a spring housing of the above character constructed of a single piece of material provided with a plurality of transversely extending recessed portions arranged at spaced intervals with the strip from which the cover is constructed formed in two sections, one of which is folded into the other with the recessed portions in one of said sections being arranged intermediate the recessed portions of the other section, so as to completely house the spring and at the same time provide means whereby the housing will readily expand and contract in accordance with the flexing of the spring.

One of the greatest diiculties necessary to overcome in the construction of spring housings is to provide a housing which will completely embrace a leaf spring and at the same time be so constructed as to eliminate any direct strain on 'any part of the housing, during the flexing of the spring which will have a tendency to distort or break the housing and, at the same time, provide a spring housing which is dirt and dust proof. Y

A further object of my invention is the provision of a spring housing wherein the blank for forming the housing is stamped from a single piece of material and in stamping the blank for the housing, one end of the blank is somewhat narrower than the other end, and is adapted to be folded into the wider end with the material between the recess of the wider end of the blank being folded to provide co-engaging means for securely clamping the entire housing to a spring.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of a spring housing constructed in accordance with my invention, illustrating the application of the same to leaf springs;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the blank, showing the same stamped out ready for foldf lng 5 Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the spring housing on the line 3 3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the housing showing the co-engaging means about to be clamped in place;

Figure 5.is` a detail section on theV line 5 5 of Figure l; and,

Figure 6 is a detail plan view of a modified form of blank.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, l designates a conventional semi-elliptic spring comprising a top leaf 2 having at its outer end the usual eye 3. The conventional type of spring, as illustrated, comprises a plurality of progressively shorter leaves 4 which can be secured together in any well known manner. The laminated spring l illustrated in Figure l, is usually so constructed that it is capable of vertical eXure when the weight of a vehicle is applied to the eye 3, it being understood that -the illustration is merely a half part of the well known type of spring used on motor vehicles. The above action causes the leaves of the spring to engage one another throughout their entire length and have a relative longitudinal movement as the spring is flexed.

In order to provide a housing which is not only of such construction that it can 'be cheaply manufactured, but at the same time will include sufficient leXure to compensate for the flexure of the spring l, it is essential that the housing be constructed in such manner that parts thereof may flex with the movement of the spring without placing undue strain upon any portion of the housing which would have a tendency to distort or break the housing.

Vith the above in view, attenticn is directed to the fact that in constructing' a housing such as illustrated in the accomanying drawings, I provide an elongated blank and this blank is stamped in a single operation to produce the form illustrated in Figure 2. It will be noted that at one end of the strip, the tongues or wings 5 are of the same length as the tongues 6 on the other end of the blank. However, at one side of the part 7 of the blank, the .tongues 8 are somewhat longer so that the ends thereof may be folded to provide suitable (3o-engaging means for clamping the housing to the spring. y j

The section 9 of the blank is stamped out so that all of the tongues 5 are arrangedv in equal spaced relation by means of the recesses or slots 10, the tongues 6 and. 8 on the section 7 being spaced in the same manner by means of the slots or .recesses 10.

At this time I wish to call attention to the fact that the two sections 7 and 9 when stamped to the form illustrated in Figure 2, are provided with a comparatively large recess 11 so that when the section 9 is folded onto the section 7 at the line indicated at 12, the tongues 5 on section 9 will be placed directly over the slots or recesses 10 in section 7 and the tongues 6 and 8 Aon section 7 will be arranged over the slots or recesses 10 in section 9, this being clearly illustrated in Figure 1.

After the two sections 7 and 9 have been folded together, it will be notedthat section 9 being somewhat longer than section 7 has the tongue portions 13 projecting be'- yond the section 7 but adapted to be folded inwardly intoV the end of the housing to form a tight fit at the outer end of the spring adjacent the eye 3 and thus prevent the entrance of dirt and dust at the outer end of the housing.

After sections 7 and 9 have been folded together, the ends of the tongues 5 are folded inwardly upon the line let of each of the tongues so that when the device is applied to a spring, the ends of tongues 5 will overlap, as shown in Figure il, to positively cover the recesses or slots 10 in section 7 entirely around the housing.

After the ends of tongues 5 have been folded inwardly, tongues 6 are folded upon themselves as on the line 15, then adjacent their ends on the line 16 and again folded on the line 17 rl`he folds 16 and 17 form a substantially hook-likeV member at the outer end of each tongue 6, the fold 17 leaving a comparatively smooth round engaging surface, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

Attention has been directed heretofore to the fact that tongues 8 are somewhat longer than tongues 5 and 6, and this is essential in order to provide a suitable co-engaging member for the hook-like portion formed through the medium of bolts 16 and 17. Therefore, .tongues 8 are first folded on the line 18, thence given a double fold on the lines 2O and 20, in order to provide a hooklike portion 21 which is adapted to engage over the hook-like portion 22 provided by the bolts 16 and 17 This construction is clearly illustrated in Figure ,t and at this point I wish to. call attention to the fact that by providing the closely adjacent folds 16 and 17 and 2O and 21, the outer ends of the tongues will presenta smooth rounded surface so that when these folded portions are hammered or pounded down to Vthe flat position illustrated in Figure 3, it leaves no sharp edges to engage the adjacent metal parts and prevents distorting during the time these parts .are hammered down to a closed position` as shown in Figure 3.

"It will be noted that when the spring housing is applied to the spring 1, as shown in-Figure l, the slots or recesses in the two sections 7 and 9 are completely overlapped by the tongues 5, 6 and 8, thus forming a complete housing for the spring, but at :10o

the same time these recesses or slots will permit the flexing of the housing simultaneously with any movement of the spring without distorting or breaking any parts of the housing, and will so completely enclose the spring that it is practically impossible `for dust and dirt to get into the housing between the same and the spring.

In constructing a spring housing of the character described above, it will be noted that comparatively light weight metal can be used, due to the fact that the two sections 7 and .9 are folded together, thus increasing the strength Iof the housing to overcome the light weight Vmetal used and the housing can be placed upon the market with the sections 7 and 9 folded together, and the ends of the tongues 6 and 8 folded upon themselves, as described andV illustrated so that they can be readily engaged after the housing has been applied to the construction.

It will be noted that by applying a housing to a spring, the tongues 6 and 8 can be forced apart sufficiently to'permit them to be engaged over the spring and therefore the kends of tongues 5 can be overlapped, as shown at Figure't, and the engaging hooks or tongues 6 and 8, engaged with eachother as shown in Figure 4, and then the closing seams of tongues 6 and 8 pounded i or stamped down to the position shown inV Figure 3.

In Figure 6, I have illustrated a slightly modified form of the invention wherein the section 7 as well as the co-mating section is provided with spaced slots 10a which extends transversely across the longitudinal center of the blank, thus leaving longitudinal side edges 8.and 9 which can be folded in the same manner as the tongues 6 and 8 in order to form co-engaging parts.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that slight changes may be made in the construction when putting the invention into practice without departing from the spirit of the same or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A spring cover adapted to snugly embrace a spring and formed from a single blank of sheet metal folded longitudinally upon itself to provide a double thickness, one of said folded portions lying within the other and each having lateral recessed portions with the recesses in one portion arranged in staggered relation relative to the recesses in the other portion, and means for securing the edges of the outermost section together along one side of the spring.

2. A' spring cover adapted to snugly embrace a spring and provide a housing therefor, formed from a single blank of sheet metal folded longitudinally to provide a double thickness of material, each of said folded portions having lateral slots therein with the slots in one portion arranged in staggered relation relative to the slots in the other portion, one of said portions having its edges arranged in overlapped relation, and means whereby to secure the edges of the other portion together along one side of the spring.

3. A spring cover adapted to snugly embrace a spring to provide a housing therefor, formed of a single blank of sheet metal folded longitudinally, with one end overlying the other, one of said end portions adapted to be positioned with its edges arranged in overlapping relation and cooperating hook members on the edges of the other portion for securing the edges together along one side of the spring, and said housing having a plurality of lateral slots to compensate for flexure of the spring.

4. A spring cover adapted to snugly embrace a spring and formed from a single blank of sheet metal folded longitudinally intermediate its ends with one end of the blank overlying the other end to form a double thickness of material, means for )acuring the longitudinal edges of one end of the blank together along one side of the spring with the other end of the blank folded into the latter section and both sections of the blank being provided with lateral recesses arranged in staggered relationy to compensate for flexure of the spring.

5. A spring cover comprising a single blank of sheet metal folded longitudinally upon itself to provide a double thickness of metal, each fold having transverse slotted portions to compensate for flexure of the spring, and means -whereby to secure the outer edges of the outermost layer of metal together along one side of the spring.

6. A spring cover comprising a; single blank of sheet metal folded longitudinally upon itself intermediate its ends to provide a double thickness of metal, each fold having spaced extensions arranged upon opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the blank to form a central web, the extensions on one fold terminating short of the extension on the other fold whereby one set of extensions are arranged in overlapped relation and the other set of extensions folded together at their outer ends for securing the blank together along one side of the spring.

7 A spring cover adapted to snugly embrace a spring and formed from a single blank of sheet metal folded upon itself to provide a double thickness of metal, each thickness having transverse slots extending from opposite sides of the longitudinal center through the outer edges to compensate for flexure of the spring, and means whereby to secure the outer edges of the outermost layer of metal together along one side of the spring.

8. A spring cover including foldable sections adapted to overlie one another, spaced tongues on one section adapted to be arranged in overlapping relation, spaced tongues along both sides of the other section having interlocking hook members at their outer ends whereby the hook members on one side of the latter section can be moved into locking engagement with the hooks on the other side of said section.

9. A spring cover including foldable sections adapted to overlie one another, spaced tongues on one section adapted to be arranged in overlapping relation and spaced tongues along both sides of the other section having interlocking hook members at their outer ends whereby the hook members on one side of the latter section can be moved into locking engagement with the hooks on the other side of said section and said hook portions being bent upon themselves adjacent their outer ends to form rounded engaging surfaces to cause the hook portions to readily engage with each other.

l0. A spring cover comprising overlying sections, one of said sections having interlocking hook members along the longitudinal edges thereof whereby the hook members on one side of the said section can be moved into flocking Vengagement with the iooks on the othel1 side of the seme section, and said hook portions being bent upon themseles adjacent their outei` ends to torni rounded engaging surfaces to cause the hook portions to readily engage With each othe.

n testimony that l cleim'the foregoing have hereunto set my hand et Milwaukee, in the County of Milwaukee und State of vWisconsin.

MILTON H. WHITEHOUSE. 

